Two decades of change in graduate education in metallurgy/materials—A perspective

It is now almost a decade since the introduction of massive federal support to universities for graduate education and research in the materials field. Accordingly, it is appropriate to examine the changes in the nature and activity of the field which have occurred during this period, both in the universities themselves, and in professional practice in industry and government, and also the implications of such changes for graduate education in metallurgy and materials science in the future.The present paper examines the growth of relevant university activities in the field over the past 10 years in comparison with that during the preceding decade and with the growth of engineering, science and advanced education in general in the United States, i.e., the question of the supply of new personnel with advanced training in the materials field. While it is appreciated that the nature and quality of education must be of prime importance, this paper deals principally with the numerical aspects of graduate education in materials, rather than with the philosophy, as a necessary first step in the broader study which is advocated.